It's Never Too Late
by peter-pan-equals-luv
Summary: *COMPLETE* Something always leads to something else and, before you know it, you're stuck in a house apologizing to the one you hurt... AU/AR, flangst


**Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Harry Potter universe.**

"Harry, _please_," Draco begged, the falling snow nearly hiding him in a drift.

"No, Draco, I can't do this anymore." The tears froze as they fell down his cheeks. "You can't keep screwing up and expecting me to take you back for a pretty apology and a bit of flash. I'm through with it all."

"Harry, just listen to me, please, it's not what you think." Tears began falling down Draco's cheeks, breaking Harry's heart, but he forced it back. "Harry, I'm so, so, so sorry, _please_ listen to me."

Harry took a mental deep breath and said, "No, Draco, not this time." He turned and walked into Grimmauld Place, shutting the door to the house and, hopefully, to his heart. He leaned against the door, slowly sliding down and putting his head on his knees as the tears began flowing anew.

Over the next few months, Harry became a recluse, rarely leaving Grimmauld Place and having few visitors while Draco sent multiple letters a day. At first he left them unopened, not wanting to keep pouring salt in the wound, but temptation eventually won and he read each one. They were full of apologies and begged for his forgiveness. Sometimes Draco told him about his day and things that had happened that made Draco think of him. Each letter began with '_To the keeper of my heart_' and was signed with _'With my eternal love_.'

Harry never wrote back, instead saving each letter in a box. Flowers often arrived with the letters and one of the bedrooms was soon overflowing with them. He eventually noticed that the letters came fewer every day and the flowers dropped to once a week. Six months after Harry shut the door on Draco, the flowers came once a month and only one letter a day.

The contents of the letters remained the same, but Harry could tell that Draco was becoming more and more tired. He resisted the urge to contact him, decided to instead discreetly ask Draco's secretary.

"Oh, come on, Ginny," Harry whinged, his head floating in her fire grate.

"No, Harry, I'm not going to spy on my employer!"

"But Gin… I'm just asking you to see if he's dating someone new. Please, I thought we were friends," Harry pouted.

"Hey, Gin, where's the Earl Grey?" A voice called out.

"Who's that?" Harry asked, panicked.

"Relax, Harry, it's just Theo. It's behind the coffee," Ginny yelled. There was a clatter and some swearing. Ginny just rolled her eyes and looked at Harry, who immediately gave her puppy eyes. "Harry, I could lose my job if Draco found out I was spying on him, I'm not going to do it."

Theo walked in, two teacups in his hand. "Oh, hey, Harry. Going to pop over for a cuppa?"

"No, thank you, Theo. Will you please tell your wife that it's not spying if she just checks to see if Draco's dating someone?"

Ginny rolled her eyes as Theo replied, "Sorry, mate, but it kind of is, but I can tell you right now that he's not. I had lunch with him two days ago and he didn't say anything." He handed one of the cups to Ginny before sitting on one of the chairs next to the fireplace. "I think he's still hung up on you, Harry. You should go see him; he hasn't been acting too well lately."

Ginny agreed and, after some prodding, Harry made a shallow promise that he would go see Draco. He returned home, his knees sore from remaining sitting for so long. He groaned as he straightened up, his back popping.

"I can't remember the last time I was on my knees so long," he moaned. He started to slowly stand when strong arms came up under his, lifting him up. Harry shrieked and attempted to twist away but Draco held him tight, standing him upright.

"Bloody hell, Draco, you scared me!" Harry wrenched away but due to the sleep in his legs, fell onto the couch, wincing and rubbing his thighs. "What are you doing here?" he asked, suddenly realizing that it was Draco.

"I got a message from Theo saying you needed me and to come quickly to Grimmauld Place." Draco sighed at the stubborn look on Harry's face. "Just forget it, I'm gone." He stood there for a moment.

"Well?"

Draco gave him an exasperated look, one that made Harry smile slightly at all the times Draco has given him that look when Harry did something socially awkward. "I'm trying to leave, I can't seem to Apparate."

"Well, try the Floo," Harry retorted, rolling his eyes, switching to his other thigh. Draco sighed again and walked to the fireplace, throwing some powder in and yelling, "Malfoy Manor!" The flames stayed orange and crackling. Eyebrows knit, Draco grabbed another handful and tried again, with the same effect. With a look at Harry still seated on the couch, Draco went to the front door and twisted the knob, but the door wouldn't open.

"We have a letter," Harry called from the living room. Draco walked in just as the Floo returned to its original color. Draco swore and stormed over to scoop up the letter on the floor addressed to him and Harry.

"What does it say?" He looked over at Harry, his heart softening.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet." His tone was as emotionless as his expression. He tore open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of parchment.

_Dearest Draco and Harry:_

_We are sick of the way you two have been acting. We are not your spies. You need to talk to each other, as it's obvious to us (if not to you) that you two still love each other. Even if you don't want to be together anymore, there are still issues that are clouding the air. Please help the environment and clean it (Ginny says haha at this, because there is apparently an inside joke here?). The house has been warded against any form of leaving, which will lift once the two of you resolve your problems._

_With all our love,_

_Theodore and Ginevra Nott_

Draco sighed as he lowered the letter. "We were set up."

Harry chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, those two are so going to get it." He winced as more pain stabbed through his legs and he resumed his rubbing. Draco kneeled in front of him and began rubbing his calves.

"How are they feeling?" he asked. Harry stared at him, thinking how good Draco's hands felt as they kneaded him, bringing back memories of several _very_ good nights that had begun in a similar fashion, heat flashing in Draco's eyes as he thrust wildly into Harry's body…

"Harry, are you okay?" Draco asked, concern leaking though his mask.

Harry blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, thanks. You-you don't have to keep rubbing, they feel better…" Harry trailed off as those long fingers trailed up.

"Listen, Harry, I-" Harry placed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

"No, I know, that guy was a doctor, but Draco, you have to admit we've had our issues and it looked really suspicious."

Draco stopped his rubbing and ran his hands through his hair. "I know, and I can never apologize enough for what I've put you through, but I _swear_ that I will never do anything so stupid again." He stood and began pacing. "These past six months have been the worst I've ever felt in my life. I miss you so much, but you never returned my letters, so I figured I should eventually get the message and just leave you alone, but then Theo sent that message saying that you needed me and I just dropped everything and-" Draco sighed and turned back to kneel in front of Harry. "If you'll just take me back, I'll do everything in my power to prove that I'm good enough for you," he said earnestly.

Tears gathered at the corner of Harry's eyes. "Why don't you stay with me tonight and we can talk about things."

"Anything," Draco breathed, lifting one of Harry's hands and kissing it gently.

All was well again at Grimmauld Place.

**A/N: Written for tabitha666 on the LJ community. Prompt: Apologies, Grimmauld Place, letters**


End file.
